Channels Returning to Vietnamese Pay TV

HANOI/HONG KONG: The landscape for international channels in the Vietnamese pay-TV sector has "vastly improved" according to CASBAA, following confusion over new licensing regulations implemented in the country.

Vietnamese platforms dropped a number of international channel brands last month after new legislation came into play requiring networks to receive an editing license from the Ministry of Information and Communication.

"After the initial period of confusion, the Vietnamese government made clear that it did not want to see foreign TV channels (and specifically not the international news channels) dropped from the country’s pay-TV systems," said John Medeiros, CASBAA’s chief policy officer. "This positive and welcome intervention from the top levels of the government has made a real difference. The translation requirement for live news channels has been removed; we further understand that the remaining difficulties affecting the news channels are now being ironed out in negotiations between them and their distribution partners, and also that a substantial number of additional international channel licenses for entertainment channels have been issued since May 15th, with more on the way.”

Among the entertainment networks back on the air following the receipt of editing licenses are AXN, STAR World and Cinemax.
 
Medeiros continued, "Vietnam has made it clear that it continues to be open to trade and investment, and that it intends to be an active and constructive player in the Southeast Asian economic area, and this is a very good thing. CASBAA is pleased and grateful that the government has taken into serious consideration our expressions of concern and recommendations for solving these implementation problems related to the new pay-TV regulations.”